


The Eighth Deadly Sin

by YamiAki96



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, None of the bad stuff happens to until the end though, Street Racing, car crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-03-11 15:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3330803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiAki96/pseuds/YamiAki96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you asked a racer, they’d tell you that there aren’t seven, but eight deadly sins. Lust. Greed. Sloth. Gluttenly. Pride. Envy. Wrath.  And speed. At least, that’s how it was explained it to me. </p><p>Racing had been going on in Olympus for so long, it had became what the town was known for. Not for the religious zealots or white picket fences, but for the kids that tore through on Sunday morning, yelling over their roaring engines, disrupting silent prayer time.</p><p>Everyone would always huff and puff about it, except for me. I’d look out the glass back doors and watch them as they went by. Boys and girls hanging out of windows, kissing, having fun. I always wondered what it was like.</p><p>I would see them at school, when they would show up at all. Pierced and tattooed, dressed in leather and hanging all over each other. People tended to avoid them, press back against walls and lockers as they walked by. Like they were animals, wild and unpredictable. And they were.</p><p>I was one of those people. A good kid that kept his head down until they passed. </p><p>That is until I met him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Sabriel fic. Please be nice. Continuation depends on response.

“Hi.” Sam Wesson glanced up to look at the person who spoke to him. One of the racers was leaning against the wall near his locker, looking at him with strange golden eyes.

  
“Hi,” Sam said, returning his attention to his books, hoping he’d leave.

  
“I’m in your History class.”

  
“I haven’t noticed.” Sam was suprised by his own bluntness. He was typically very curtious to others. The racer only laughed.

  
“Yeah, I don’t normally show up. But, I’m trying to get my grades up now. I was wondering if you’d wanna help me out?”

  
“You want me to tutor you?”

  
“Yeah,” He said. “But if you don’t want to-”

  
“No, I just...have to see when I’m free,” Sam said. The boy smirked and took The notebook from Sam’s hands. He pulled a pen from his bag and scribbled something quickly. He handed the book back and turned to walk away.

  
Sam stood there, stunned, until the bell rang.

  
After he hurried to his English class and sat in his usual seat, Sam opened his notebook and found seven numbers scribbled inside under the name Gabriel. 

* * *

 After looking over his schedule, Sam called the number that the racer had left in my book during lunch. It went to voice mail, as he guessed it would, and he left a brief message telling him that they could meet at the library at four. He got a text confirmimg the meeting ten minutes later.

Sam went to the library right after school to secure a table and look at the new books that been ordered since his last visit. There was a loud burst of laughter from the children’s section as he browsed and Sam went to see what was going on.

  
A racer was sitting in one of the tiny chairs, holding a Dr. Seuss book, surrounded by kids. He made funny voices as he read and the kids laughed again. He glanced up and their eyes met for a second.

  
Sam knew those eyes. He didn’t know where from, but he recognized the shade of blue, the shape. The racer looked away, continuing his story. Sam waited for him to finish reading and for the kids to wander away before he nervously walked up to the other boy.

  
“Excuse me?” Sam said. The racer didn’t turn away from the shelf he was studying, but his shoulders tensed so Sam knew that he was listening. “Do I know you?”

  
“I don’t think so.” The blue eyed boy said, not looking away from his shelf. Sam’s eyes widened as he recognized the gruff voice and put it together with the familiar eyes.  
“Cas? Castiel Novak?” The boy turned, his own eyes widening in recognition.

  
“Sam?”

  
Sam started at his old friend, amazed at the transformation he’d undergone in the years since he’d last seen him.

  
No longer was Castiel the quiet choir boy that once spent afternoons at youth group meetings. He was tall and thin, pierced and tattooed, and there was a blue streak in his hair. It was a complete 180. But here he was, working in the public library, reading stories to little kids who obviously adored him, despite the off putting attire.

  
“It’s been a long time.” Cas said, leaning against the shelf. He reached for the pack of cigarettes that were just noticeable in his jacket pocket, but decided against it at the last second and went for the gum in the other pocket instead.

  
“Three years.” Sam said. Castiel had ran away from home when he was fourteen. No one had heard from him since. His parents were still heart broken.

  
“Three years.” Cas murmured, as if he was surprised by the information.

  
“Where have you been?” Sam asked. He had been heart broken, too. Cas was was best friend back then. His confidant and first crush. He was more shocked than anyone when Cas just up and left.

  
“I live just outside of town. Have been for the last three years. I go to the day school in Dayton.” Sam shook his head.

  
“No. You ran away.”

  
“What? No, I didn’t. I moved in with my cousin and transferred schools.”

  
“But your parents said-”

  
“Was that their story? That I ran away in the middle of the night. Typical.”

  
“What do you mean?” Sam asked, suddenly confused. If Castiel didn’t run away, what happened to him. Why did he disappear the way he did?

  
“I didn’t run away.” He said, again. “I came out.”

  
“Came out? Like…?”

  
“Came out of the closet. Told them I liked boys. They flipped out. Threatened to send me to a camp. So, I left. Figures they’d try to keep their reps clean, though. Just like them.”

  
Sam was silent for what felt like a long time, trying to process all of the information that had just been thrown at him.

  
“And now you’re a racer?” He asked. Castiel shook his head.

  
“Not me. But my cousin and my boyfriend are.”

  
“Wow. I mean… just wow.” Cas smiled at him a little.

  
“I know.” He did know. Castiel used to just like him. He detested racers and wild ways.

  
“Sammy!” Sam looked back and there he was. The boy who had written in his notebook. Gabriel.

  
“Hey,” He said, shifting a little. He didn’t know how comfortable he felt being alone with the guy.

  
“Why’re you talking to this freak?” Gabriel asked, pointing at Castiel. Sam was about to say something when Cas cut me off.

  
“Better question is why he’s hanging with trash like you.” The confusion must have shown on Sam’s face because Cas said, “Gabe’s the cousin I moved in with when I left.” Gabriel nodded, then gestured behind him with his thumb.

  
“Dean’s outside.” Cas looked at the clock and nodded.

  
“I’ll see you tonight. It was good to see you, Sam.”

  
“You too.” Sam watched him walk outside through the libraries large windows. A blond boy was waiting for him beside a big black car. Sam looked away when they wrapped their arm around each other.

  
Gabriel was staring at him when Sam looked his way.

  
“What?”

  
“Nothin’. Where do you wanna start?” He dropped in a chair at the closest table.

  
“Did you bring your old test like I asked?” He pulled some papers out of his bag and Sam looked over them, then sighed. This was going to be a lot of work.

  
“We’ll start with flash cards, they help me the most. And then I’ll teach you how to take notes that will actually help you, not the generic packets that teachers give out.”  
“Okay,” Gabriel said slowly. He seemed nervous. Without thinking, Sam reached over and touched his hand.

  
“It’s really not that hard. And I can try to meet you before all of our test and everything to help you.” He nodded and reached into his backpack. He produced an unopened pack of note cards.

  
“Cas studies this way to,” Sam nodded. Castiel was the one that taught him to study when we were in middle school.

  
As they started working on the note cards, Gabriel asked questions. At first they were about the cards, how to spell something or if he had the dates right, but they turned into asking if Sam had siblings and what his favorite color was. The transition was so smooth that Sam didn’t realize what they were saying until a voice on the intercom announced that the library would be closing in five minutes.

  
Sam looked up, dazed. When had the sun set? Where had all the people gone? Gabriel looked just as shocked as he did and checked his watch.

  
“Damn,” He yawned, stretching. Sam helped him gather his things and they walked outside together.

  
“You need a lift home?” Sam shook his head.

  
“It’s right down the street. I’ll see you tomorrow.” As he turned to walk away, Gabriel lightly caught his wrist.

  
“Do you mind if I walk you? I just… I don’t like seeing kids on the street alone, especially at night.” Sam looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

  
“Sure. Thanks.” They walked side by side, their steps and the noises of the street the only sounds. Sam’s eyes would flick over to study Gabriel, recording what they found in Sam’s mind. He walked with his hands in his pockets and alternated between looking at his shoes and up at the sky.

  
“Thanks for the help,” Gabriel said, when they stopped in front of Sam’s house.

  
“No problem. Same time next week?”

  
“Yeah. See you in class.”

  
“Goodnight, Gabriel.” Sam said. The other boy smiled.

  
“Call me Gabe.”

  
“Gabe.”

  
Gabriel made a small movement, then changed his mind. He gave a small, awkward wave and turned to walk back the way they came from.

  
Sam watched until the shadows wrapped around him, then went inside and locked the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam is 17  
> Cas is 17  
> Gabe is 19  
> Dean is 19


	2. Chapter 2

Even after a few weeks of tutoring, Sam was still surprised by how normal Gabriel was.

He always thought that racers were brainless hooligans but Gabe was actually really smart and kind when he tried. Sam actually began looking forward to their afternoons together.

"Do you want to hang out this weekend?" Gabriel asked one night as he walked Sam home. "A lot of us are going to the pier. Cas’ll be there."

"That sounds fun. I’ll ask my parents."

"Cool. Let me know." Sam nodded and went inside.

~*~

That Saturday, he was riding shotgun in Gabe’s car.

"I can’t believe your parents let you come," Cas said, resting his chin on the bench seat. He was sitting in the back with his boyfriend, Dean, practically in his lap. Dean had headphones in and was drumming his fingertips on Cas’s hips.

"Well, I may not have told them the whole truth. I just said I wanted to go to the pier with some friends."

"Sam Wesson telling his parents a lie," Cas mock gasped, settling back against Dean. "I never thought I’d see the day."

Dean popped an earbud out and offered it to Castiel. He accepted and Sam turned around, assuming that that conversation was over.

Gabe wasn’t lying when he said a group of friends were going. Along with the four of them, there was Charlie, a pretty red head, and her girlfriend Dorothy, Jo and Benny, who Sam knew from school, Pamela, a self proclaimed physic, and a few others.

There was a carnival going on when they arrived. They all went their separate ways, agreeing to meet for lunch in a few hours.

Sam stuck with Gabriel, since he was the only other person he knew besides Cas, who had pulled Dean toward a photo booth first thing.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked. Gabe shrugged.

"You like rides?"

"I don’t know. I’ve never actually been to a place like this."

"Really?" Sam nodded. "Wow."

"So, what’s fun?" Sam asked, a little embarrassed. His parents were protective and his friends weren’t really adventurous. Gabe shrugged again.

"Everything’s pretty cool. We usually come up at least once while it’s town. Since you’re a newbie, I’d say start on the kiddie rides." Sam shoved his shoulder and Gabriel laughed.

They did start on the slow rides like the Ferris wheel and one that spun around so fast that Sam ended up flush against Gabriel’s side. His cheeks stayed red for an hour due to Gabe’s incessant teasing.

He insisted that Sam ride the roller coaster before they ate. He understood why when the car took off like a rocket. He decided he didn’t like the weightless feeling that came with the drops and twists.

He still felt a little green when they met up at the group of concession stands. Cas smiled when Sam tol him what happened and Dean laughed.

"I don’t like rides that much," Cas said. "Dean thinks it’s funny to mess with me when we’re on them."

"You love it," The other boy said, smirking.

"I feel like I’m going to die."

"You know I won’t let anything happen to you." Cas smiled and leaned against him.

"I know." They kissed briefly. Gabe gagged.

"We’re trying to eat here! Take your homoerotic tendencies elsewhere."

Dean flipped him off in response, kissing Cas again. Sam decided that he was okay.

When they all separated again, Gabriel and Sam went look at the games and vendors. Neither were really impressed with what they saw and decided to just walk. Somewhere along the way, Gabriel’s fingers found Sam’s.

It was a new experience, but not a bad one. They didn’t talk about it or even really look at each other.

They rode a few more rides and Gabe played a few games in the arcade, spending all of his tickets on candy that he later split with Sam.

When the sun started to set, Gabriel got a text message.

"The others want to build a fire on the beach and hang for a while," He said. "Do you need to get home?"

"My parents said I could stay the night. I think they think I’m out with church friends." Gabe laughed.

The sight that the group chose was a ways away from the carnival. Sam could hear music coming from somewhere in the distance, loud enough to hear, but not so loud that they couldn’t talk.

Someone had made a supply run and they now had the fixings for s’mores and hotdogs, as wells as cheap towels and blankets to sit on. They also had beer, which Sam turned down because, yuck.

"Did you have fun?" Charlie asked, as their marshmallows toasted.

"Yeah. It was different." She smiled.

"There’s going to be a race in a few weeks. You should come."

"Char," Cas said, adding his own marshmallow to the group. "Sam probably isn’t interested in–"

"I’ll come. It’ll be cool." Cas bit his lip but didn’t say anything else. He went back to Dean with two burnt marshmallows and nestled against him, hiding from the chilly night air.

Some people left, disappearing to the cars or behind the rocks down the beach. Cas stood and tugged Dean’s hand.

"Dance with me," He said. Dean finished what was left in his bottle and stood up.

Sam watched as they moved closer to music and Dean wrapped an arm arm around Cas’s waist. The fingers on their other hands interlaced and Cas laid his head on Dean’s shoulder. Dean rested his chin on top of Cas’s head as they swayed.

"They look happy," Sam said, turning to look at Gabriel. He was leaning back on his elbows, watching the fire flicker.

"I think they are. They should be, with as much sex as they have." Sam choked on his soda and Gabe laughed as he coughed and sputtered.

The drive home was quiet, except for the radio.

Dean had given Cas his jacket as a blanket and Castiel used his chest for a pillow. Dean laid his head against the window and watched the lights pass, running his fingers through Cas’s hair.

"Did you have fun?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, it was great."

"We’ll have to do it again." Sam had a feeling that the ‘we’ he was speaking of wasn’t an all inclusive term. He smiled, then yawned.

"Yeah," He agreed, scooting closer and laying his head on Gabriel’s shoulder. "We should."

He must have dozed off because when he opened his eyes, they were parked in front of a small house. Gabriel was lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Come on and get up. Unless you just want to sleep in the car." Sam whined, but pulled himself from the seat.

Dean had gotten out of the back and was trying to scoop Cas up without waking him. Sam bumped Gabriel’s shoulder.

"Why didn’t you try to carry me inside?" Gabe rolled his eyes affectionately.

"Maybe because you’re a small giant. And I’m not trying to get in your pants."

"Bullshit," Dean said, kicking the door closed behind him. Gabriel flipped him off.

"At the moment," He amended. "Let me show you where you can sleep."

Ten minutes later, Sam was settled in Gabriel’s room while the older boy made up the couch for himself.

He fell asleep surrounded by Gabe’s scent, and wishing that the older boy was there with him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam took a moment after he woke up to look around Gabriel’s room.

There were lots of car posters and a few of half naked women. He had pictures of him and Cas and the others on his mirror. Candy wrappers and the occasional article of dirty clothing littered the floor. There were a few textbooks on his desk and the flash cards that Sam had helped him make. It looked like a place Gabe would live.

He walked out of Gabriel’s room, yawning and stretching. Dean was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he waited for the coffee maker to finish.

"Morning," Sam said. Dean nodded. "Where’s Gabe?"

"He took the dogs for a walk." Dean ran a hand through his short hair. Sam saw the tattoo of a sword on his bicep. "Look, Cas wants me to talk you out of going to the race next week. But, honestly, I don’t give a fuck what you do."

"Okay?"

"If he asks, tell him I talked to you about it. Keep him off my back."

"Alright." They were quiet for a moment, the only noise the sound of the coffee brewing. "So, how did you guys meet?"

Dean raised an eyebrow at him, then shrugged.

"I drifted here, started working at the garage to earn some extra cash to keep going. He came in with Gabriel one day and things changed."

"Oh. Where are you from?"

"Kansas. I go back at least once a year to see my parents." Sam nodded. He never would have thought that Cas would fall for a guy like Dean.

Cas came in then, looking rumpled and grumpy in an oversized AC/DC shirt. He sat on one of the bar stools and Dean smiled at him.

"Morning, grumpy."

"Shut it."

"You’re so pleasant." Cas flipped him off and Dean laughed. He poured a cup of coffee and put milk in sugar in it before passing it to Castiel, who grumbled a thank you.

Gabriel came in then with a German Shepard and a Jack Russell Terrier. The German Shepard came to Castiel’s side and nuzzled against him. Cas scratched him behind the ears.

"I have to go to town today and pick up some parts. You wanna go to the bookstore, babe?"

"Yes. I just need to shower." Dean kissed his cheek as he passed and kneeled down to play with the dogs. "Dean!"

"I need to shower, too." Dean said, jumping up. Gabe chuckled.

"You ready to go home?" Gabe asked. Sam nodded.

"I had a good time," Sam said, when Gabriel parked in front of his house. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Sure. It was fun." Sam sat awkwardly for a moment.

"I’ll see you at school, then."

"Yep."

"Okay." Sam got out of car and waved. Gabriel drove away and Sam let out a sigh and went inside.

~*~

The races were held at a track near the beach a little over an hour away. They all took separate cars, since most of the group would be participating.

When they got there, Dean, Gabriel, and the rest of the drivers went to place their bets. Castiel pulled Sam by the arm away from the cars and people.

"I can’t believe you came here."

"Cas–"

"This isn’t a safe place, Sam. People die here, drivers or not. I don’t think that you’ll be okay with it."

"But you are?" Sam snapped. "You’re okay with your boyfriend and your cousin and your friends doing this, but not me. Why?"

"They were born into this. They know what to expect. You are new to this."

"So were you," Sam pointed out. "At least give me a chance." Cas sighed.

"Fine. But you have to tell me if something is too much for you. I can get you out of here very quickly."

"Okay." Cas ran a hand through his hair and Sam caught a glimpse of ink on his side. "You got a tattoo?"

"I have three."

"You’re terrified of needles." Cas smiled.

"It’s different I guess."

"Can I see them?"

"Sure." Cas pulled his shirt up to reveal the ink on his side. "It’s an Enochin protection sigil. And Dean and I have each others initials," He pulled his collar down to reveal the simple D. J. W. just below his collarbone. "And my wings."

He turned and pulled his shirt up a little. Sam could see the intricate detail of feathers.

"Wow. How long did those take?"

"Forever. Come on. They’ll be looking for us."

They didn’t really talk as they rejoined the group. Cas went to Dean’s side and they disappeared into the crowd.

"Dean’s racing last," Gabriel explained. "They’re probably going to fool around."

"Oh. Are you racing?"

"Yeah. I’m somewhere in the middle. You wanna go get something to eat or whatever?"

"No, I’m okay."

The crowd was loud and rowdy, then all of a sudden, complete silence fell. Two cars started, wheels burning rubber before they sped down the track. Sam watched as they went by, mouth wide open.

"Wicked isn’t it?"

"Yeah. Do you always go that fast?"

"Not a race if you go slow," Gabe pointed out.

"But it’s dangerous!"

"Yeah. And fun." Sam shook his head.

His stomach twisted in anticipation as Gabriel went to get ready for his race. Dean and Cas were back by then, watching the other cars in excitement. When Sam saw Gabriel pull up to the starting line, he grabbed Cas’s hand. Cas squeezed his fingers.

The cars went by in a flash. Sam closed his eyes. The group around him started yelling in excitement a moment later. He peeked and saw Gabe getting out of his car, grinning wide.

"He won?" He asked Castiel.

"Yes. So, depending on what the other driver bet, he either gets the car or cash."

"Oh." There were a few more races before Dean kissed Castiel and made his way back to his car.

Cas took Sam’s hand this time, standing on his tiptoes to watch.

"Come on, baby," Sam heard him whisper. The cars started and streaked by as they had all of the other times. Castiel’s grip on Sam’s hand was bordering on painful before he started cheering.

He let Sam go and ran to where Dean was grinning victoriously. Dean picked him up and swung him around a little before kissing him.

The crowd began to disperse, some grumbling about lost money, others celebrating winning big.

Sam followed the group to where Dean and Cas were standing. Gabriel joined them, falling into step beside Sam. Another group was approaching when they got there.

"You cheated," The leader of the other group said, shoving Dean.

"Bull shit. I beat you, Roman. Again. Maybe you should just give up."

"You son of a bitch," The other boy said, lunging forward. Dean sidestepped him, pulling Cas out of the way, too. Roman came at him again and Dean leveled him with one punch.

"I’ll get you back, Winchester. Just you wait." He stood up and slinked off, the rest of his crew following him.

"Sorry bastard," Dean mumbled. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Cas said. Dean grinned at him.

"Let’s go celebrate then." Everyone around let out groans and grumbles as Dean kissed Cas hard. Sam thought that he heard Cas moan quietly against his mouth. They waved goodbye and got into the car, taking off without another word.

"Well, there won’t be any going back to my place for a few hours," Gabriel said. "Ready to eat?"

"Yeah, I’m starving."

They went to a nearby diner and grabbed a quick bite. Sam found himself focusing more on Gabriel than he was his food.

When they got back into the car he leaned over and pressed their lips together.

"Hello," Gabriel said, looking surprised but pleased. Sam smiled and looked away, blushing a little.

Gabriel was smiling as he drove away from the diner to a more secluded place. He parked and leaned over to kiss Sam again.

It started with one chaste kiss then led to longer, lingering ones. When Gabe’s tongue sought entrance Sam allowed it.

He had kissed a few girls before, but it was never like this. Those were nervous pecks during spin the bottle or after a date that didn’t turn out well. This was what he always thought kissing should be like.

He sighed against Gabriel’s lips when the older boy pulled back. They shared a few more soft kisses before Gabriel sat back.

"Damn." Sam smiled.

"Yeah."

"I should get you home. Your mom will start to worry." They held hands as Gabriel drove back to town.

"Do you want to come in?" Sam asked. "We could study or whatever."

"I don’t think it’s good idea to get me alone in your bedroom just yet. I’ll see you tomorrow." Gabriel kissed him again.

Sam waved goodbye before he went inside. His mom was just starting dinner.

"Did you have a nice day, sweetie?" She asked.

"I had a great day."

Sam didn’t know how he kept from floating away while they ate. He laid down that night and fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Sam asked for millionth time.

"I’m fine, Sam. Would you get over here." Gabriel grabbed him and pulled him down on top of him.

Even though Sam had been attending races for nearly a month, this was the first time he had seen an accident. Of course Gabriel had to be the one involved to make it that much worse.

Gabe was okay, but the same couldn’t be said for his car. Dean had it in the nearby garage where he worked looking it over. It was taking longer than Gabriel wanted to wait.

Lips on his pulled Sam from his worries of hurting Gabriel. They had kissed so much in the last month Sam didn’t think that he could survive without that mouth on his. Gabriel was patient, gentle, and careful not to push too far.

Sam tangled his fingers in Gabe’s hair and sighed into his mouth. Gabe slipped his hand under Sam’s shirt and was rubbing the smooth skin of his back when the door opened.

"Seriously?" Sam pulled away hastily at Dean’s voice. He was leaning against the doorjamb with an eyebrow raised. "After all the shit you give me and Cas for making out on the couch?"

"There’s not a chance of bodily fluids getting everywhere when we do it." Dean considered that for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"How’s my car?" Gabe asked, sitting up, keeping Sam close.

"Totaled."

"It took you two hours to figure that out?"

"No, it took me five minutes to figure that out."

"Then what were you doing?" Sam asked. Dean smirked and waggled his eyebrows. Gabe groaned.

"Please tell me you didn’t fuck in my car."

"We didn’t fuck in your car. We fucked in the office."

"You two are disgusting." Dean shrugged, still grinning.

"We’ll find you a new car tomorrow," He said, before walking back through the kitchen. Gabriel shook his head and pulled Sam back in.

~*~

"We’ll meet at Martin’s at four, but if we finish up early we’ll come and find you guys," Dean said.

"Okay." Dean kissed the side of Cas’s face before letting him go.

Dean and Gabriel had made plans to look at cars in the city and Sam and Cas tagged along. On the way, Cas informed Sam that car shopping was incredibly dull and that spent the time in various shops instead. Sam decided to stick with friend, since he had no real interest in cars anyway. Plus, Dean looked a lot more relaxed knowing that Cas wouldn’t be wandering around alone.

Gabriel kissed Sam before they went off in their separate directions.

"Where do you want to go?" Cas asked. "I have to buy Dean some new shirts and get Charlie a birthday present, but other than that we can go anywhere."

"I’ll just follow you."

"Alright."

They hit JC Penny first. Cas got Dean a few button down, complaining that they didn’t have plaid out. He chose a red and a blue shirt. He deliberated over a black one before deciding against it.

"Dean always wears layers," He explained. "Black attracts the sun."

"You guys are really close." Cas smiled.

"Dean is the love of my life. I can’t imagine being with anyone else ever. I just picture us moving to New York and buying a house and having a family. I love him so much, Sam."

"I’m glad you’re happy. I always wondered if you were, after you left." Cas smiled sadly.

"It took a while for me to feel like I belonged. I didn’t have anywhere to go but to Gabe. He taught me what to wear and how to act. Then Dean breezed into town and I fell head over heels," Cas smiled in a far away way, then looked at Sam.

"What about you and Gabriel? You guys are obviously close now." Sam blushed.

"I don’t know. I just like him." Cas smiled.

"There’s nothing wrong with that. Are you going to tell your parents?"

"I don’t know," Sam said again. "I think that they’d be okay, but I don’t want to risk it."

"I was scared. But my parents are horrible people disguised as Christian humanitarians. Your parents love you."

"I guess you’re right." Cas touched his arm.

"You know you have a place to go. If you ever need us, any of us, all you have to do is call."

"I know. Thanks, Cas."

"You’re welcome."

They walked in silence until they got to the next shop Cas wanted to go in. It had all kinds of card games and other stuff Sam would classify as nerdy, but he knew Charlie would like.

"Have you and Gabriel had sex yet?" Sam choked on air when Cas asked that.

"What? No!"

"Okay. I’m just asking."

"Why?" Cas shrugged.

"It’s been over a month. Gabriel has been very relaxed and almost pleasant. I just thought maybe he’d been getting some." Sam’s face still felt hot.

"Well, we’re not."

"Okay."

"Does it hurt?" Sam asked after a few minutes of quiet searching.

"Not if you do it right." Cas smirked a little, then frowned. "I’m sorry I made you comfortable. There are no boundaries here, you know?"

"It’s fine. Just don’t ask that again."

"Okay. I’ll get her these. She always wants new cards." Cas picked up a large pack of cards and some dice.

He and Sam wandered for a while longer before Sam asked the question that had burning inside for weeks.

"Why did you get in the car with Dean at that race?" Cas always warned Sam about how dangerous the races were, then he jumped in the car with Dean during one of them.

"It’s kind of thing. The racer’s significant other rides with them sometimes."

"But if you’re so worried about the danger and stuff…."

"Sam, the way it feels when in your in the car–the speed, the fear, the adrenaline–it’s like every sin tied up in one and it’s addictive. Speed is the eighth deadly sin, and I hope you never get tempted by it."

Sam considered it. Being in the car with Gabe as he drove as fast as he could, watching the determination on his face change to victory as he won. But there was a dark side, too. A side where Gabe did something wrong or the other guy hit him like had at the last race. Sam shuddered.

"It won’t."

"Good. Hey, it’s four already. Come on."

Martin’s was a little restaurant at the end of the street. Dean and Gabriel were already there, snacking on cheese fries.

"Thanks for waiting." Cas smiled as Dean scooted over for him to sit and threw an arm over his shoulders.

"You know me, babe. I’m nothing if not considerate."

"Did you find a car?" Sam asked, turning in the seat a little to look at Gabriel.

"Yep. Mustang."

"Great." Gabe laughed a little at the over enthusiasm. He kissed Sam anyway, lingering until Dean threw a fry at them.

They all got burgers and cokes. It was the best burger Sam had ever eaten. Dean ordered pie after he was finished, much to Castiel’s amusement. Cas was the only one allowed to steal bites from his plate.

When they walked out, Cas pulled Dean down to whisper in his ear. Dean nodded.

"We’re going to the beach," Cas announced. "We’ll you later."

They walked hand in hand back to Dean’s car. Cas waved when they drove by. Gabriel put his arm around Sam.

"Do you want to go back to my place? We can watch a movie before I take you home."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

Gabriel’s new race car was nice as far as Sam could tell. He learned quickly that racers kept two cars, one to drive and one to race. The racer got locked in the garage until it was time to race and kept in pristine condition. They were checked over at least once a week, if not more, and again at the track. Racers spent small fortunes fixing up their cars.

Gabriel pulled into his garage and parked next to Dean’s racer. Sam thought that they were both beautiful cars, even though he didn’t know a lot about them. They were just pleasing to look at.

Sam and Gabriel curled up on the couch to watch their movie. The dogs climbed up with, Dean’s dog on Sam’s side and Gabe’s on the other. Sam scratched the Colonel behind the ears, earning a quiet huff and the dogs head in he lap.

They settled on some crazy movie neither of them had seen before, but spent most of it making out. It was dark outside when the credits started rolling.

Sam told Gabriel about his day with Cas on the ride to his house, leaving out the part where Cas asked about sex. Gabe frowned when Sam mentioned what Cas said about his parents, but didn’t comment. Sam knew he must have hated them.

He paused before opened the car door, studying what Gabriel was wearing and how his hair looked after Sam’s fingers had been in it.

"What?" Gabriel asked after a minute.

"Do you want to come in and meet my parents?"

"Sam, I’m not really the parents type."

"That’s not what I asked." This was a test of sorts. If Gabe said yes, they were a couple. If he said no….

"I guess I can come in. If you think it’s okay." Sam smiled hugely, diving across the seat to kiss Gabe before getting out of the car.

Gabriel heaved a sigh before following him. Sam tangled their fingers together and smiled.

"Ready?"

"As I’ll ever be."

Sam opened door and pulled him inside. The smell of something cooking wafted through the air. Sam tugged along to the living room where his parents sat.

His dad glanced up from his paper for only a moment. His eyes flicked from Sam to Gabe to their hands.

"Good day, son?" He asked.

"Yes. This is Gabriel."

"Hello, Gabriel."

"Hi."

"He’s my boyfriend," Sam clarified. His parents glanced at each other with small smiles. "You knew that?"

"You’ve been making out in front of the house for the last month. We figured." Sam felt his face heat up a little.

"Would you like to sty for dinner, Gabriel?" Sam’s mother asked.

"Um, yeah. That sounds good."

Sam held Gabe’s hand while his parents asked the probing questions all parents asked. Gabriel had surprisingly good answers and his parents looked impressed.

"They like you," Sam said.

"You sound surprised." Sam shrugged.

"I wasn’t sure. I thought the whole boyfriend thing might weird them out. But they seem okay."

They kissed goodnight and Sam went back inside to face more questions.

~*~

Gabriel closed the door and leave against it, letting out a loud sigh.

"Where have you been?" Castiel was in the kitchen, dressed in the shirt Dean was wearing earlier. The kettle was on and Cas had a textbook on the counter so Gabe guessed Dean was asleep.

"I had dinner with Sam and his parents."

"Really?"

"Do all parents ask invasive questions?"

"Typically. I always liked Sam’s parents."

"Yeah, they’re pretty cool." Castiel made two cups of tea and passed one to Gabriel.

"Do you love Sam?"

"I don’t know," Gabe answered, pouring enough sugar into his mug to make Cas frown. "I like him a lot."

"He’s good," Cas said. "Make sure that he stays good, Gabriel."

"I’ll do the best I can."

Cas reached out and squeezed Gabe’s hand. He carried his tea and book into the living room. Gabriel stayed at the counter, sipping his own drink before he went to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam felt eyes on him as he and his parents walked into the church. He wasn’t really surprised, since it was the first time he’d been since he started dating Gabe. But it was Sunday and Gabriel was sick so here he was, sharing a bench with his parents.

Everyone was walking around greeting one another, all smiling and laughing and shaking hands, but Sam didn’t really see them the same way he did before. Not after Sundays filled with laughter and friendship and Gabriel’s lips on his.

"Hello, Sam." He looked up an saw Zachariah Novak standing near him, hand extended. "It’s been a while since we last saw you."

Sam couldn’t find it in him to take his hand. How could he be civil with a man that threw his own son away and lied about it? He wondered what Zachariah would say if he knew what Cas was like now, with his tattoos and piercings and Dean, happier than he had ever been before.

"I was exploring other options, since that’s always encouraged."

"But you returned to the flock, in the end."

"For now." Zachariah’s eyes narrowed a bit and he gave Sam a forced smile.

"I’ll see you next week." The man walked away. Sam shook his head and caught a glimpse of his old friends sitting a few pews away.

They were whispering to each other and looking pointedly at him. When he stood up and walked over to them, they shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey, guys. Long time no see."

"Yeah. That’s what happens when you blow us off," Michael said, crossing his arms.

"What Michael means," Jess said, elbowing the boy in the ribs, "is that since you started tutoring that boy–"

"Which we told you not to!"

"Since you started tutoring him, you haven’t really been around."

Sam sighed. He really hadn’t expected it to come to this, but he also hadn’t expected to find Castiel or fall for Gabriel the way that he did. Had his life really been so different only a few months ago?

"I’m sorry. I just became friends with him and," He stopped. He couldn’t mention anything about what he did with Gabe here.

"And what?" Raphael asked, a cool edge to his voice. "You forgot about the rest of us?"

"No. I just–"

"Because you haven’t said a word to us since then. You just run right to him everyday. Just admit it, Sam. You’re one of them now."

Sam wanted to argue that he could be with the racers and still be him, but the church bells rang, calling for the beginning of the service. They all returned to the pews where their families sat with another word.

Twenty minutes into the service, during silent prayer time, Sam heard it. The low rumble of engines getting closer. The sound used to make him angry, but now he longed to be in one of those cars. Right now he could be with Gabriel in his new car, holding hands as they made their way to the track, or with Dean and Castiel in Dean’s racer, politely looking away as they kissed when they drove by the building. The cars made him feel closer to Heaven than any of the sermons that he had ever heard.

The preacher had, apparently, been doing a seven part sermon about the deadly sins. Sam didn’t pay much attention because Cas’s words were in his head again. Speed was a deadly sin, like all the others combined. Sam understood what he meant now

~*~

Gabriel wasn’t at school the next day, much to Sam’s disappointment. He was feeling better, but he didn’t want to risk getting Sam sick.

"I’ll be there tomorrow," He had told Sam when they talked. His nose was stuffy so his voice sounded funny. Sam thought that it was cute.

"Sam," He looked up when Jess said his name. She was holding her books in front of her like she was nervous.

"What’s up?"

"I just wanted to apologize for what Michael and Raphael said yesterday. You’re allowed to have friends from outside the church, even if they are racers." Sam smiled a little.

"Thanks, Jess."

"What are they like?" She asked. "I mean, I know they’re just people like us, but what are they like?"

"They’re just people. Some of them are a little rough, I guess, but they’re…they’re free."

"Free. I guess that’s one way to put it."

"They’re actually really great." Jess nodded.

"Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt."

"Thanks." She put a hand on his arm for a second and walked away.

The day was boring without Gabe to look forward to. Sam sat with the others at lunch, big it wasn’t the same. He and Gabe were always in their own world together.

"Do you want to come with us?" Jo asked, pulling Sam from his thoughts.

"Nah," Sam said, even though he didn’t know where they were going. "Homework."

"Okay." The bell rang. They went their separate ways to the last class of the day. Sam had English, which he enjoyed.

He kept feeling eyes on him as he walked. Come to think of it, he had felt like he was being watched all day. He was glad when the final bell rang, he just wanted to go home watch movies or something.

He was just out of sight of the school when he felt hands on him. Two boys dragged him off of the sidewalk and into the woods where another was waiting.

Sam tried to fight his way out, but they were bigger and stronger. They all took turns beating up, alternating between pulling him up and punching him and kicking him while he was down.

When he laying on the ground covered in blood and tears they finally stopped. One kneeled down and got very close to his face.

"You tell Winchester that Dick wants a rematch." He said, then spit on him. They walked away, laughing.

After what felt like hours, Sam had the strength to get his phone out of his pocket and call Gabriel.

"Hey, Sam. What’s up?"

"I need you to come and get me."

"Where are you?" Gabriel’s light tone was gone, he was completely serious now.

"I don’t know, in the woods somewhere. They grabbed on my way home."

"Okay, we’ll be there soon. Hang on."

Sam struggled to sit up, but gave up when it hurt too badly. He did manage to roll over so that his face wasn’t in the dirt.

It seemed like forever before he heard footsteps and shouts from his friends.

"I found him!" Benny’s voice called, close to where Sam was laying. "You alive, kid?"

"Yeah." He kneeled down and let out a low whistle.

"They got you good. Do you think that anything is broken?"

"I don’t know. My ribs hurt too much to sit up."

"Sam!" Gabriel fell down beside him. "Oh, God."

"We should take him to the hospital and get him checked over."

"Alright."

Suddenly, Sam felt himself being lifted from the ground. He tried not to let the hurt show, but a hiss of pain escaped before he could stop it.

"Sorry," Benny said.

"S’okay."

Benny put him in the back of a car and Gabe slid in next to him. He didn’t ask any questions about what happened, he just sat beside him and ran his fingers through Sam’s hair.

"I’m so sorry," He whispered. Sam shook his head.

"It’s no one’s fault but theirs," He said, taking Gabriel’s hand. "No ones." Gabriel kissed his forehead gently and just rested there.

When they got to the hospital, everyone else waited while the doctors looked over Sam and cleaned him up a little.

"Nothing’s broken," The doctor said, after he was thoroughly examined. "You got lucky, there. However you are severely bruised and you’ll probably be in pain for the next few days. I’ll give you prescription for those."

He went through the routine spiel and let Sam go. When he walked out to the waiting room, all of his friends were there. It was almost funny to see such a large group of racers on one side of the room and the other few people there sitting at the far wall.

"Are you alright?" Cas asked, when he got close enough.

"I’ll live." Cas smiled a little. Sam turned to Dean. "They had a message for you."

The drive back to Gabriel’s house was tense. Dean practically had steam coming out of his ears and he shook Cas off every time he tried to talk to him. When they pulled up to the house, Dean got out the car and slammed the door before storming into the house. Cas looked after him.

"Go," Sam said. "I’m fine."

"Thank you," Cas said, gratefully, then followed Dean inside.

Gabriel helped Sam out of the car and up the walk. They could hear Dean yelling.

"–if they had went after you? What if you’re next? I have to do it." There was a silence, which Sam guessed was Cas responding. A loud crash followed and Gabriel opened the door.

Textbooks were scattered all over the floor and Dean was leaning against the kitchen wall. Cas was whispering to him, running a hand over his back. Dean pulled away from him.

"Call them and tell them I’ll do it." He said, over his shoulder.

"Dean–" Cas started. Dean pushed away from the wall and walked back out the door. He stopped and looked at Sam with sad eyes.

"I’m sorry," He said before the went back to his car.

"Dean!" Cas called, but he was already driving away. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Cas, it’s gonna be okay," Gabriel said. Cas shook his head.

"I’m not so sure." He turned away from the door and and went down the hall his and Dean’s room.

"This is so fucked up," Gabriel said, running a hand over his face.

"Are they going to be okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, they’re fine. Dean just ha this habit of blaming everything on himself and bottling it up. Come on, let’s go to bed."

Sam couldn’t sleep all night. He watched Gabriel for a while, until laying on his side started to hurt too much and he had to roll over. After midnight, he heard the front door open, then voices in the room next door. He relaxed a little, knowing that Dean was okay.

He closed his eyes and tried to drift off, even though he knew he wouldn’t.  
——-///——-  
Cas woke up when weight shifted on the bed. He opened his eyes and rolled over to watch Dean take off his boots and lose his jeans.

"Where have you been?" He asked sleepily. Dean sighed abd came to lay down beside him.

"I just needed to get away for a while. I’m sorry I acted that way, I was just so pissed at them."

"We’re all angry," Cas said.

"But it’s not everyone else’s fault."

"You can’t blame this on yourself, D. All Dick had to do was pick up the phone or come here. Hurting Sam was just some sick, pathetic attempt to get a feud started." Dean closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Castiel’s.

"I just keep thinking that it could have been you. That they could have hurt you instead and I–" He broke off and took a breath. "I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt because of me."

Cas shifted forward to press a chaste kiss to Dean’s mouth.

"I have a bad feeling about this race, D."

"It’s gonna be fine, Cas. I’ll kick Dick’s ass again and he’ll leave us alone. And, if by some form of black magic, he beats me, we’re gonna be out of here by July, so who cares."

"I want to ride with you." Dean shook his head.

"No. I get too distracted when you’re in the car with me. It’s not safe."

"I know that. But I don’t think I can stand on the sidelines while you race him." Dean sighed.

"Fine." Cas kissed him and Dean smiled against his lips.

"You’re a spoiled brat."

"I know. But you still love me."

"I do." Dean said, pressing a kiss to his hair.

"I love you, too."

Cas curled up against his side and slipped his hand under his t-shirt. Dean pressed his cheek against his hair. He was asleep in minutes.

Cas listened to him breathe for a while and ran his hand over the smooth skin of his back. He hated it when Dean raced Dick, he always had. He worried himself sick every time because he didn’t trust Dick not to cause an accident. And now he actually caused harm to one of them. Dean was right of course, he would beat Dick and everything would be fine, but he just had this pit in his stomach.

He sighed and laid his forehead against Dean’s chest. He needed to get some sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The other side of the bed was empty when Sam woke up. He figured that Gabriel was in the kitchen or the living room, talking to Dean about the race, and he didn’t want to be a part of that.

What if Dean got hurt, or worse, because of him? He knew that no one else would blame him, but he would feel responsible. What of they did blame him? Would he loose the small family that he had only just gained.

He pulled from his worrying by the door opening. Gabriel had two mugs precariously held in one hand and was attempting to kick the door closed quietly. He smiled softly at Sam when he saw that he was awake.

"Hey."

"Hey." Gabriel put the mugs down on his nightstand and climbed back into the bed.

"How ya feeling?" He asked, running his fingers through Sam’s bed head.

"Like three guys beat the shit out of me." Gabe laughed a little and reached for his pain medicine. Sam sat up to take it, then laid back against Gabriel’s chest.

"What are you going to tell your parents?" Sam shrugged, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He had called them from the hospital the night before and told them that he had gotten hurt, but was fine, and that he wanted to go home with Gabe. They had argued for a moment, but allowed it eventually.

"I don’t know. That some jerks beat me up for being gay, I guess. I think that they’d believe it."

"I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of you," Gabriel said quietly. Sam sighed and tightened his arms around Gabe’s waist.

"You can’t take care of me all the time," He pointed out. "And I’m okay, really. Just a little sore."

"Oh yeah?" Gabriel shifted them so that Sam was laying on his back and he was hovering over him.

He dropped soft kisses all over the bruises on Sam’s face, then rucked up his shirt to kiss the ones on ribs and stomach. It hurt a little, but the warmth of affection that Sam felt overpowered the pain.

After he was sure that he had gotten every blemish on his skin, Gabe moved to kiss Sam’s lips. Sam sighed.

"I love you," He whispered, before he knew what he was saying. Gabriel’s golden eyes softened as he smiled.

"I love you, too."

Sam called his parents and told them that he really wasn’t up for going to school. He claimed that he was sore from the beating and that he would just be a distraction. They told him to be home before they got home from work. He had a feeling that they were going to try to get him to break up with Gabe, or at least stop spending so much time with him.

He hung up and got back into Gabriel’s bed. He pulled the blankets over his head and closed his eyes. A few minutes later Gabriel poked his head under to look at him.

"You got room for one more in your secret club house?" Sam rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that crept up onto his face.

"I suppose that there’s room for one more to squeeze in." Gabe pulled the blanket back and slipped under them. He pressed his forehead to Sam’s and closed his own eyes.

Sam knew that there were more productive things that they could be doing, but there was no where else in the world that he would rather have been in that moment than Gabe’s arms

They slept for a few more hours, then spent the rest of their day together tangled in each others arms, talking quietly and kissing.

Eventually, Sam had to get up and change back into his own clothes, leaving the shorts and t-shirt that Gabriel leant him to sleep in on Gabriel’s floor.

They left for Sam’s house early to ensure that they had time for a proper goodbye. They had a nice ten minutes to kiss goodbye before Sam had to get out of the car.

When he turned at the front door to wave, he saw that Gabriel was talking on his cell phone. He had a serious look on his face, so Sam went inside, content enough with their day.

~*~

Dean was already at the track when Gabriel arrived. He was leaning against the fence, a grave look etched onto his face.

"Where’s Cas?" Gabe asked, coming to stand next to him.

"The girls convinced him to go see some movie. I said I wasn’t feeling too hot. I don’t think he believed me."

"What’s up?"

"I got a bad feeling, Gabe. I always do when I race Roman, but it’s worse this time. He’s never attacked anyone like that before."

"You wanna call it off?"

"And risk someone else getting hurt? No. I just…this is it, Gabriel. I can’t keep racing. Not if I’m going to start a life with Cas when he graduates."

"Oh." Gabriel understood that. Racing was fun, and it was a lifestyle, but it was a life for the young and reckless or the old and dumb. There were barely any racers over the age of twenty five around there anymore.

"He wants to ride with me."

"You told him no, right?"

"Course I did. Didn’t do any good." Gabriel nodded.

They were quiet for a while, looking out at the asphalt that had taken over their lives.

"If something happens," Dean said, breaking the silence. "If Dick does something and I don’t get out, you take care of him. You make sure that he gets out of here. This isn’t where he belongs."

"Nothing’s going to happen."

"If it does. Say you’ll take care of him."

"You know I will." Dean nodded.

"I’m scared, Gabe," He admitted with a weak laugh.

"Of the race? Dean, nothing’s gonna–"

"Not of the race. Of what comes after. Of the life that Cas wants to have. We’re not normal people, we never have been and never will be. It’s just scary to be facing adulthood."

"But you’re not facing it alone," Gabriel pointed. "You’re gonna have Cassie beside you." Dean grinned.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. I guess it won’t be too bad." He looked out at the sinking sun. "We should get back. They’ll be home soon."

Dean was laying on the couch when Cas got home. He smiled at him and held up a green bottle.

"I got you ginger ale for your stomach."

"Thanks, babe." Castiel sat the bottle on the table and settled on top of Dean, laying his head on his chest.

Gabriel watched them from the kitchen with a fond smile on his face. Everyone wanted a relationship like Dean and Cas had. He wanted that with Sam.

They could talk with saying anything. They trusted each other wholly. They were perfect for each other in every way possible.

"We’re going to bed," Cas said, pulling Dean up from the couch.

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

Gabe watched them go, knowing that no matter how the race went, they would have each other.


	7. Chapter 7

The air was tense on the days leading up the race. Everyone in Olympus was buzzing with nervous excitement.

Dean was quiet, like if he said anything about it it was an automatic forfeit. He was also more attentive to Castiel than Sam had ever seen. Cas blamed it on nerves and milked it for all it was worth.

Gabriel didn’t want to talk about racing either, and took the drastic measure of putting his tongue in Sam’s mouth whenever he tried to bring it up. Not that Sam minded the interruption, but it was starting to get rather annoying.

“I don’t want to think about that when I’m with you,” Gabriel said, when he voiced his complaints. “I think about it enough at home. When I’m here, I just want to be with you. I just want to be us.”

Sam supposed that he could understand that. News about the race had spread all over their neighborhood and everyone was talking about it. Even kids from their school knew about it and were placing bets.

“Okay,” He agreed, kissing Gabriel again. “Just us.”

Ever since they confirmed their love for each other, Sam had been trying to get more physical. Whenever they were alone he would tug at Gabriel’s clothes and hair, all to no avail. Gabriel wanted to wait until everything had calmed down and he could breathe again.

Dean and Gabriel spent long hours in the garage, going over every inch of Dean’s racer to make sure that it was ready. They changed the oil and brakes and tires. It was all pretty boring in Sam’s opinion, but he wanted Dean and Cas to be safe.

Everyone in the group had tried to talk Cas out of riding along. It wasn’t safe and Dean would be too distracted with him in the car. Cas had told them all to shut up and leave him alone. He was going to be beside Dean, whether they liked it or not.

The night before the race, Dean and Cas were in their room, laying in bed together. Dean played with Cas’s fingers, not meeting his eyes. Cas was running his fingers through Dean’s hair.

“Baby?”

“Yes, Dean?”

“Are you sure you want to ride with me? I won’t be upset if you’ve changed your mind.”

“Dean, I’m riding with you. You’re going to win this race and it’s all going to be fine.”

“I just want you to be safe.” Cas pulled Dean’s face up.

“I will be.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Dean’s. Dean sighed.

“Fine. But I’m still against it.”

Cas kissed him again, tugging at his shirt. Dean moved back to pull it over head and threw it across the room. The rest of their clothes followed.

Across the hall, Gabriel was running his fingers through Sam’s hair.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked. Gabriel had barely said a word all night and he was concerned.

“Fine. Just worried about tomorrow.”

“Whatever’s going to happen will happen, Gabe. Worrying about it won’t change it.”

“I know,” He sighed. “But Cas is going to be involved and that makes it much more stressful. He’s practically my brother, Sam.”

“I know. But he’s going to be with Dean. He’s not going let him get hurt. You know that.”

“I do. You’re right.” He kissed Sam, then rested their foreheads together. “I’m sorry I’ve been so off this week.”

“It’s okay. I know you’ve been worried about this race,” He placed his hand on the of Gabe’s neck. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Sleep came, but it was restless for everyone. The next morning started too early. Gabriel got up long before anyone else and made breakfast. Everyone ate, even though they didn’t really have an appetite.

The drive to the track that used to be exciting and loud was quiet. Gabriel kept a tight grip on Sam’s hand as he drove. Sam brought his hand up and kissed his knuckles.

“Relax,” He said, soothingly. The tension Gabriel’s shoulders eased a little, but he was still nervous.

“I’m gonna go sign up for a race, okay?” He said, when they got there. Sam nodded and Gabriel kissed his cheek.

Cas came to stand beside him as Dean followed Gabriel.

“How is he?” Sam asked. Cas shrugged.

“He doesn’t want me in the car with him and he’s a little nervous about what Dick might do. But he’s Dean. He’ll win.”

Sam nodded. He believed that. Dean was good, from what he could tell. Everyone knew that he would beat Dick.

It only took a few races for the uneasiness to lift from the group. Everyone got into rooting for their favorites and trash talking the other drivers. Gabriel won his race with a huge lead, and the crowd went wild.

“I’m taking you out tonight,” He told Sam, when he got back to the group. “Somewhere nice.”

“Okay.” Sam kissed him and Gabriel spun him around.

His excitement faded when the last race of the day came around. Dean’s race.

“It’s going to be okay,” Cas promised Gabriel when they passed by. Gabe nodded, but he looked unsure. Cas caught Dean’s hand and followed him to his car.

“Ready to lose, Winchester?” Dick asked when they shook hand.

“Screw you, Roman.”

Dick’s mouth twitched like he wanted to say something else, but instead he spun around and got in his car.

Dean grabbed Cas’s face and kissed him hard.

“I love you.” Cas smiled up at him.

“Get in the car, Winchester,” He said. “Take me to the finish line, one last time.”

Sam’s stomach was in knots as they started their engines. The rumble the usually brought him excitement frightened him now. Gabriel had grasped his hand again and was holding tight.

The cars went with the roar of engines and squeals if tires. Dean shot ahead, but Dick was close behind. The crowd screamed in excitement.

It seemed like slow motion when Roman’s car hit Dean’s. Sam watched in horror as the car lost control and flipped with a horrifying sound of bending, screeching metal. Terrified yells filled the air and everyone seemed to move at once. Sam barely processed Gabriel’s command that he stay there before his boyfriend was running into the fray.

He stood there, unsure of what to do. Were Dean and Cas okay? What happened? Where was everyone else?

Sam wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a gentle hand was pulling him away from the spot and out of his stupor.

“Gabe?” He asked.

“Just me.” Charlie. She looked scared and shaken.

“What’s going on? Where's–”

“We’re going to the hospital. Gabe’s already there. It’s…” Her voice broke. “it’s really bad, Sam.”

Sam’s stomach dropped and he allowed Charlie to drag him to her car, towards the nightmare that none of them could wake up from.


	8. Chapter 8

The only sound in the room was the beeping of the machines.

Sam sat quietly beside Gabriel, waiting for him to say something, anything. But he just sat there, alternating between staring at the wall the boy on the hospital bed. Sam finally broke after a few hours.

"What are you going to tell him?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know." Gabriel's voice was rough, unused. He hadn't spoken since they got the news and Sam didn't push him. He just held his hand and let him grieve.

"Cas?" Sam and Gabe were both startled by Dean's voice. He had been unconscious for four days and they were starting to lose hope. Gabriel pressed the call button just as Dean turned his head to look at them.

"Gabe? What's going on?" He looked between them. "Where's Cas?"

Gabriel was spared from having to answer by the doctor coming in. He went over Dean's chart and explained his injuries in the simplest way possible.

"You're very lucky," He said, closing the chart and putting it back at the foot of the bed. Dean thanked him and he left.

Dean looked the ceiling, processing what the doctor had said. He turned his head to look at Gabe again, green eyes shining.

"Gabriel, where's Cas?" He whispered. Sam had a feeling that he already knew, but needed to hear the affirmation. Gabe swallowed hard and squeezed Sam's hand.

"Dean," He said, his voice cracking horribly. "Cas didn't–"

"No," Dean interrupted, shaking his head. "No. No."

"He had major internal bleeding. There was nothing–"

"No! You're trying to pull a joke and it's not funny. Cas!" Dean screamed for him until his voice faded into heart wrenching sobs. Sam felt tears burning in his own eyes again while Dean cried.

"I need to see him," Dean choked out around his tears. "Gabe, I have to....I need to...." 

"Dean..." Gabriel wasn't sure how to continue. How could he tell him without ruining him even more?

"What?"

"His parents reported him missing when they kicked him out to cover their asses. He was still in the system when they brought him in."

"No," Dean said again, slumping against the pillow, defeated tears falling from his eyes. "No. They can't have him. They threw him away. They can't take him from me now."

"I know. I–" Gabe's voice broke. He didn't know what else to say. What could he possibly say?

"Fuck," Dean whispered. "Fuck, Cas."

He started crying again. Gabriel pulled Sam from the room, wanting to give him his privacy. Gabriel called everyone and let them know that Dean was awak. He told them to hold off on visiting for a while. The news about Cas had hit him hard, as was to be expected.

Benny and Jo showed up around six so that Gabriel and Sam could go home and rest. The group had been taking turns watching over Dean in case anything happened. Gabriel had been taking every other shift because he was the one that wanted to tell Dean about Cas. No one fought him for it. 

"How is he?"

"About as good as to expected. Don't push him." Jo nodded and rubbed his arm, comfortingly.

"You head on back," Benny said. "We got it for a few hours." 

Gabriel nodded and pulled Sam from the building to his car. When they got to the intersection, he turned right towards Sam's neighborhood.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you home."

"I want to stay with you!" Sam knew that Gabriel was hurting and he wanted to be there for him. Gabe shook his head.

"I just need to be alone for a while, okay?" The words were quiet and gentle but they hit Sam like he yelled them. 

Sam didn't want to be alone. He was hurting, too, after all. He had just gotten his friend back after years of not knowing what had happened to him, only to have him ripped away so quickly. He wanted Gabriel to hold him and comfort him and tell him that it was going to be okay.

"Alright," He said, instead.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Gabriel stopped in front of his house and sighed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," He said without looking at Sam.

"Do you want to ride with us or are you going to meet us at the church?"

"I'll meet you there. Goodnight."

After a moment of deliberation, Sam leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Sleep tight."

Sam went inside an up the stairs. He curled up in his bed and fought back more tears. 

Cas's funeral was the next day. Everyone in town was going to be there, offering condolences to the people that had tossed him out. Gabriel was the only racer going and that was only because he was Cas's cousin. Sam hadn't been back to the neighborhood he knew that all the racers were in mourning, too.

The next day was dark and heavy with rain. The church was full of people that Sam didn't recognize and he knew that none of them knew who Castiel was. He found Gabriel outside waiting and went in with him.

They sat in the back of the church while the service went on. Cas's parents sat on the front row, his mother was crying and his father sat with his back straight and head held high. Sam was disgusted by both of them. 

Half way though the service, Gabriel stood and walked out. Sam followed him without a second thought.

"He would have hated that," Gabriel said when they were in the parking lot. "That was a disgrace to his memory and they know that!"

Sam put his arms around Gabriel and Gabe's complaints faded into sobs.

"He shouldn't be dead," He choked. "It's not fair."

"I know."

"He wanted to be cremated. He said that he wanted to be able to go to the places that he hadn't been yet. And they're gonna put him in the ground. And I have to go home and either lie to everyone–lie to Dean–and say that this was nice or tell them the truth and hurt them more."

Sam didn't say anything. He just rubbed Gabriel's back and let him cry. Sam couldn't imagine how he felt. Cas was his little brother in every way that counted and now he was gone, stolen from in more ways than one.

"Let's get out of here," Sam suggested. Gabriel nodded and handed Sam his keys.

He drove them back to Gabriel's house, unsure of where else to go. There were various Tupperware and casserole dishes on the front porch. They picked them up on the way in and left them in the kitchen, going back to Gabriel's room to lay down.

"I just can't believe that he's gone," Gabriel whispered, after a while. "He was so alive, you know? He wasn't finished. He had plans for his future." He rubbed a hand over his face. "God, I can't even imagine what Dean's going through right now. He's probably blaming himself for what happened on top of all that grief."

"Everything will be okay," Sam said, even though he didn't believe it. It was what you were supposed to say when things were bad, though. Gabe shook his head.

"I don't think so. Not this time."

~*~

Gabriel gave Dean his room when released from the hospital. He had a feeling that Dean wouldn't be able to sleep alone in the bed that he had shared with Cas for so long. Dean had nodded his gratitude and locked himself away.

Dean hadn't spoken since he found out about Cas. He had just laid in his bed until the doctor released him, staring at the ceiling with the occasional tears on his face. His eyes were dull and dark circles under them. He had lost weight because he was barely eating.

Sam didn't want to think about how sad he had to have been. About how much it must have hurt to lose someone that he loved for so long, someone that he planned a long life with.

"How is he?" He asked Charlie at school one day. 

"He just lays there in the dark and looks at their pictures or listens to Cas's voice mails. He doesn't eat, he barely sleeps, and he won't talk to anyone. I'm worried about him."

"Me, too."

She squeezed his arm as the bell rang, then made her way down the hall.

Sam went to Gabriel's after school to help him get ready for his finals. They were greeted him the sound of breaking glass that sent Gabriel running to Dean and Cas's room.

Dean was on the floor, surrounded by glass shards and pictures from the mirror. His hands were bloody with cuts and his face wet with tears. His crutches were across that room.

"Are you okay?" Gabriel demanded, going to his side. "Did you fall?"

"I killed him," Dean said, not moving. Gabriel paused.

"No, you didn't. It was an accident Dean."

"I should have told him no. I shouldn't have let him get in the car. I may as well have put a gun to his head."

Gabe struggled to find words, but couldn't. What could he say? Cas was gone and Dean was still here, in almost pristine condition. He was going to blame himself no matter what. 

"Sam, could you get his crutches?" He asked quietly. Sam did as he was told and Gabriel pulled Dean up. Sam cleaned up the glass while Gabriel took Dean to take care of his hands and any other cuts. Sam could hear their muffled voices through the wall. 

When he was finished, he dumped the glass into the trash can and went to the living room. Gabriel came in a few minutes later, rubbing his forehead.

"Benny's gonna take you home," He said. "Dean's really bad right now and–"

"You don't have to explain." Sam stood and hugged him. "Your family needs you. Just let me know if you need me."

"Always." Gabriel kissed him softly and rested their foreheads together. "I'll call you. Maybe you can come over when things are better."

"Okay."

Things with Dean didn't get better. The worry that everyone felt was almost palpable. It hung heavy over the house like a fog that wouldn't lift.

He had nightmares about the accident that ended with him screaming for Cas until someone woke him up. He only ate what Charlie and Jo force feed him. He barely left Gabriel's room, even after he cast removed.

One day, Sam and Gabriel came in after school, they noticed that the door to Gabriel's bedroom was open. Gabe looked in, then called Dean's name. When he didn't answer, Gabriel tried his cell phone. It was sitting on the nightstand in Dean and Castiel's room.

Gabriel called around to see if anyone had seen him. No one had.

"I'm sure it's okay," He reassured Charlie over the phone. "All of his stuff is still here. His car and Colonel. He probably just went for a walk or something, the doctor said that he needed to do that."

When he wasn't home four hours after the sun had set, though, they knew that something was wrong. Gabriel and Benny went out looking for him, searching every street, every bar, and every place that Dean had ever mentioned, but they came home with no more knowledge than what they started with. They waited a few days to see if he would call from Kansas, but the phone never rang.

No one said it out loud, but everybody knew it true. Dean was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

As the weeks passed, the grief in the neighborhood didn’t fade. Everyone tried to act normal, but there were two pieces missing from their lives.

Gabriel starting getting distant and Sam didn’t know what to do. No matter what he tried, Gabe avoided his advances. He knew that he shouldn’t take it personally, Gabriel was still grieving, but it hurt a lot. He never said anything, though. He didn’t want to make Gabriel feel even worse.

One day, he went home with Gabriel and they found Charlie in Dean’s room. The floor had been cleaned up and it smelled like Pledge. Gabriel frowned.

“What are you doing?” He demanded. Charlie didn’t look up.

“I want to keep it clean for Dean comes back.”

“Dean’s not coming back.” Charlie looked up, shocked.

“How could you say that?” She asked. “This is his home. He just needs some time alone. He’s probably went back to Kansas and–”

“Dean’s dead!” Gabriel snapped. “I don’t know how, but he’s gone, Charlie and he’s never coming back.”

Charlie stared at him for a second before she ran out, shoving him and Sam out of the way. The front door slammed shut and Sam turned to him.

“What the hell was that?”

“It’s been four months, Sam. And you saw how he loved Cas. There was no one else for him. He’s dead, too. He’s dead.” Gabriel’s voice cracked. Sam wrapped his arms around him and Gabriel started crying.  
Sam managed to get him over to the bed so that they could sit. He rubbed his back and tried everything he could to comfort him.

“It’s not fair,” Gabriel said. “Why did we have to lose them both?”

“I don’t know.”

“They want me to race Dick Roman. Some kind of revenge against him, but does it really matter? Dean and Cas are still going to be dead.”

“It’s up to you,” Sam said. Gabriel hadn’t raced since the accident ten months ago. “If you want to do one last race, do it.”

“One last race,” Gabriel snorted. “That’s what Dean said. One last race then he and Cas would get out. They were gonna move to New York or something. One last race.”  
Gabe extracted himself from Sam’s arms and stood up. He walked to the mirror and pulled one of the pictures down to look at it.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. I just…it was so hard to lose Cas, you know.” Sam nodded, even though he couldn’t see. “I loved him like a brother, he was all the family I had left, and the way his parents…I’m just really sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not. But thank you for putting up with it.” Sam stood and wrapped his arms around Gabriel again. Gabe hugged him back, squeezing tight.

“I love you,” Sam said. “I just need you to be okay.”

“I can’t race Roman,” Gabe said against his neck. “I don’t think I can ever race again.”

“Then don’t.” Sam pulled back and held Gabriel’s face in his hands. “Don’t. You can take some summer classes and we’ll go to college together.” Gabe pressed their foreheads together.

“You really think I’m smart enough?”

“I know you are,” San raised up to kiss him. “You should apologize to Charlie.”

“I will.”

Gabriel brushed their noses together then kissed Sam again, slow and deep how Sam liked it.

It was like the first ray of sunshine after a week of rain. There were still a lot of clouds, but Sam knew that the storm had passed.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriel kneeled in front of the gravestone and cleared the leaves away. There were weeds growing around it, so he pulled those up as well, avoiding the real reason that he was there.

“Hey, Cassie,” He said, feeling his eyes starting to burn with tears. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by to see you. I just…it’s hard, y'know. You should be here today, not in the ground.

"A lot’s changed since you left. I’m sure Dean’s with you, wherever you are. I hope you found each other, anyway. It sucks here with you both gone, but one without the other just wouldn’t have been right. I quit racing. After you died I just couldn’t anymore. Sam’s parents let me move in, you were right, they are pretty great. Benny and Jo are gonna have a baby, so they’re moving to Louisiana to be closer to his family. Charlie’s going to MIT in the fall.

"Today’s graduation day. I never thought I’d be wearing a cap and gown, but Sammy helped me get grades up. I have to take a few summer classes, but they’re letting me walk today. I’ll go to community college this fall and start on my degree. I’m going to be a mechanic.

"I really wish you were here. I miss you like hell, even if you were kind of a pain in the ass. I really hope you’re happy, Cas. I love you.”

Gabriel patted the headstone and walked away. Sam was waiting at the top of the hill, he held his hand out when Gabriel was close enough to take it.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I just miss him.” Sam gave him a sad smile.

“Me, too. But he’s here. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

When Gabriel made the decision to stop racing, he got rid of the cars he raced in and let the lease on his house run out. Sam’s parents let him move into the guest room as long as he stayed in school. He usually snuck into Sam’s room after they went to bed  
They were quiet on their way to the school. Sam traced random patterns on the back of Gabriel’s hand.

“I’ll see you after,” Sam said when they got there. He kissed Gabriel and went their separate ways, Gabriel to the gym to line up and Sam to the stands to watch.

The ceremony was hot. The sun beat down, causing Gabriel to sweat under his cap and gown. Why had the school chosen such a longwinded old guy to give the commencement speech anyway?  
After what felt like hours, they finally started passing out diplomas. Gabriel hadn’t even realized that there were that many kids in the school, let alone in his class. Finally, his row was waved forward to the platform.

“Amanda Gish…Gabriel Godson…”

Despite being asked not to applaud until the end of the ceremony, when his name was called, cheers erupted from the stands. The principal glared at him as Gabriel snatched his diploma and hurried off the stage.

The rest of the names took another hour to call, then closing statements were said. Kids cheers as they threw their caps in the air. They all marched back into the school where they removed their gowns and got their actual diplomas.

Sam jumped on him as soon as he walked out of the building, causing him to drop his things. He couldn’t find it in him to care when Sam kissed him wildly.

“I love you,” He said, running his thumb over Gabriel’s cheekbone. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.” 

They kissed again and Gabriel swung him around, ignoring the whistles and jeers from their friends. When he put Sam down, they all took their turns hugging and congratulating him.

“Let’s go grab a bite,” Benny said, throwing his arm over Jo’s shoulders. “One last hoorah before we all go our separate ways.”

“Sounds good to me,” Gabriel said, taking Sam’s hand.

As they walked out of the parking lot, something caught Gabriel’s eye. He turned and, for a moment, he swears that he saw Dean and Castiel watching them in the crowd, smiling proudly at their family as their lives went on.


End file.
